This is a blog for Texas State students taking FCS 4347 (Family Policy) to be able to post their weekly reading assignment (3 newspaper articles about issues or policies that effect individuals and families) and to write their reactions, opinions and implications of the articles.

4. What this is about: This article sums up different studies that were done involving children and physical activity. In each study, children that were more active scored better on tests.

5. Who this effects: Hopefully this will affect policy and make physical activity a top priority in schools.

6. My thoughts: This article caught my eye because I recently blogged about a similar article earlier in the semester. Both clearly show the impact that physical activity has on children in schools. With the obesity epidemic on the rise, it seems vital to initiate programs in schools that prevent children from getting obese. Everyone wants to complain about the cost of health care and were missing the point that prevention is better than treatment. If we prevent the problem from happening then we don't have to deal with it down the road. One study had kids learning and doing physical activity at the same time. I thought that was really cool. I need hands on learning. I can't just listen or take notes. There's some kids out there like that too. If we keep doing the same thing in our school system were going to get the same results. Right now we teach children how to take tests. Why not teach them how to take care of themselves too. That should be mandatory. Obviously parents aren't doing it. The numbers show that. Everyone thinks their kids have ADD now. My dad is a pharmacist and he says Adderall is one of the most over prescribed prescriptions out there. They even ran out of it last year. I guess the FDA didn't allow them to make enough for that year. My teachers thought I had ADD too. But when I started doing gymnastics, I quit talking in class as much and actually paid attention. My point here is we need to stimulate our minds and our bodies to get both to perform optimally.